New network equipment designs have higher termination density, faster transmission speeds and increasing heat dissipation needs. Integration of cooling units into equipment lineups enable the successful deployment of high heat dissipating equipment in facilities where the existing cooling and air delivery systems are insufficient. Placement of cooling units in lineups, where they are needed to support various types of network equipment, eliminates hot spots in the facilities and reduces heat related network outages, while maximizing ductwork placement and minimizing capital expense investment.
One solution to these issues is active cooling systems, which might include a fan, a compressor, and/or the like. Such systems are expensive to install and maintain, however, and they do not take advantage of existing cooling infrastructure. Another possible solution is passive cooling, in which cooled air from a central system is distributed as needed from diffusers located above the overhead ironwork and cable racking arrangement, and attempting to deliver cold air through the obstructions to cool the heat producing equipment. Existing passive diffusers, however, are not well suited to telecommunications or data center environments. Such solutions tend to be fairly low volume and generally are designed to minimize noise, rather than maximize air distribution. Further, such units generally are not dimensioned properly to integrate well into a telecommunications or data center environment.
Thus, there is a need for more robust air distribution systems.